Guess who's back!

Greetings!

For all of the 10-plus people who read this blog, I'm back! The number, however, with shameless self-promotion is growing by leaps and bounds everyday.

A lot has been going on the last couple of weeks, which I will try to recap the best I can.

First off, I turned 25!

As I've stated in previous blogs, this birthday was somewhat monumental in that it's the age where, as a young man, you should have your ish together, or at least have a concrete plan. I think I'm well on my way, but I know I still have some growing to do. While I only got a couple of presents, the best gift I received was the news first thing in the morning that my mom didn't have cancer. I knew then that, no matter what else happened, my day would be great!

Speaking of gifts, "she" surprised me like never before. Let me preface this by saying that you have to get up reaaaaal early to pull one on me, but I must give credit where credit is due. She came by the house and in her hand was a carrying case of some sort. I was too busy paying attention to her that I didn't really bother trying to figure out what it was.

Low and behold, a faint sound came from the case and as she reached in, out popped a kitten, no bigger than my foot. Now, a while back I mentioned I wouldn't mind having a cat. And for those questioning a grown man having a cat, I assure you, I've very secure with myself. And plus, I live in an apartment. The Rottweiler will come later.

Now, back to the cat. Libby is her name and she's the most fun-loving, adorable fur-ball this side of the Hudson River. It was totally unexpected which make me enjoy her that much more. I'm thankful for her and for "her".

I took a moment to really sit and think about 25. I told a friend, it would probably be about two months before my new age would really set it. It's kind of like when it's February and you're still writing the previous year on your checks.

At 25, I've spent time in 21 of the 50 states. I've been in the same room as the President of the United States and local drugs dealers. I've shook hands with celebrities, Hall of Famers, multi-millionaires and homeless people. I've seen people become converted and find the Lord and I've seen people duck for cover to avoid flying bullets. I've walked on some of the nicest beaches and resorts in America and have had to look over my shoulder as I walked some of the most dangerous streets. At 25, I'm a rare breed. I'm young, black, educated and not in jail. I'm thankful. I don't say things like this to boast. I just recognize and appreciate how fortunate I am.

Until next time...

Perspective

I write this blog from St. Mary's Hospital in Richmond. As I'm writing, I see my superwoman, my best friend, my mom lying in the hospital bed sleeping peacefully, out cold from the medicine the nurses gave her a little while ago.

I don't get to VA often and a friend texted me earlier and asked, how was home. I responded by saying it's bittersweet. On one hand, yes, I am around familiar surroundings and in the midst of family. And on the other hand, I don't want to be here under these circumstances.

My mom had surgery today. I'll spare the details, but I will say this, things went smooth, but to the doctor's and our surprise, they found more than they expected when they went in. It was like a punch in the stomach. We pray and have faith that everything will be ok, yet for as much as our mouths say that, the fear of the unknown tears away at inner souls.

We simply have to wait.

My fingers can easily type these words better than my tongue can utter them. Because I feel helpless. When I think and see the pain the woman whose always kissed the boo-boo and made it better is in, I get bent out of shape. I want to ask God, okay, what the fuck is going on here.

But, in spite of my uncertainty, I know he's in control. As hard as it is to believe that in times like these.

Nonetheless, in times like these, life is put in perspective. We tend to appreciate the little things in life. We realize that no matter how good things are going, in an instance, our lives can take a turn and we're all of a sudden we're at the intersection of confusion and uncertainty. So, we wait and hope. And I'm doing just that.

My heart hurts as I sit here, watching her sleep. I realize how foolish I am for complaining stuff that ain't worth a damn. I realize more how important family is. I recognize how much I need my first lady in my life.

I just simply realize.

The countdown continues...

A couple of weeks ago, my mother called me.

When you've been around people long enough, you come to know their tendencies, you come to have a feel for them. When it comes to family that knowledge is heightened. So as soon as I heard her on the other end of the line, I knew something was wrong.

The doctor had found something, she was going to have to have surgery.

Whenever we hear that something was "found" we automatically think cancer. But, fortunately enough there were no signs of cancer, but she still had to have the procedure.

Now, my mother is a strong woman, but she gets rattled easily. I don't think I've ever seen her in the hospital so for her, the thought of surgery makes her nervous, and rightfully so. Nobody wants to go under the knife. And while the surgery may be minor, we still are unsettled. Those thoughts I knew she was thinking came so clearly through the phone that I knew what I had to do.

This was a no brainer. I made plans to go home and be there with her.

As the countdown continues to my 25th birthday, I share this with you simply because, as we get older the more we appreciate our parents and the role they have in our lives. This is not to say that I haven't appreciated my mom to this point, because I have. But when we get to a certain age, we rebel and try to "find ourselves" and do so without the watchful eyes of the parentals.

Every young adults experiences this. We go on our own, often making mistakes along the way. But it's the only way we learn. When we look back at what we did wrong we realize our parents weren't so stupid after all. So when we realize how much they sacrificed for us, we in turn make sacrifices for them.

As I approach 25, I understand this. I'm blessed to have both of my parents, not everyone can say that. So when mommy called and indirectly said she needed me, saying no was not an option, no matter how much it would cost. She's been there since day 1 and 25 years later she's still there.

It's the least I could do.

A Special Night...

I rarely blog about sports on here because that's what I talk and read about all day. I simply use this as a forum to express my thoughts on a variety of other issues, as you can see by my previous entries.

However, as with anything, there are expectations, and today is one of them.

I often say that for those of us born in the early 80s, we were fortunate enough to grow up amidst some of the greatest athletes and witness some of the greatest sporting moments in history. First and foremost, we had the Jordan-era. Anyone who grew up watching the Bulls in the 90s can look back in appreciation of what we were able to see. Whether you were a Jordan fan or not, you can tell your grand kids you were around when the greatest player of all-time was in his prime.

In addition to Jordan, we had Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the NBA, the Braves dynasty in the MLB, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield in boxing and Carl Lewis, FloJo and Michael Johnson in track and field.

But perhaps the most influential athletes of our generation was and still is Tiger Woods. Woods has transcended the sport of golf. He's made it cool for minorities to watch and play golf. He made golf culturally relevant outside of the country clubs and suburbs, not to mention his total domination of the game from the '97 Masters until now.

So, because we were spoiled growing up, sometimes it's hard to jump on the bandwagon of these new age "superstars" Ever since 1998, there has always been the next Jordan-syndrome. Whenever someone new, fresh and marketable came along, they have been unfairly given this label, and many have failed.

So we wait. Waiting for that moment when an athlete "comes out" and catches our attention. Giving us flashbacks to the "good ole days"

Last night, LeBron James made us believe. He made us believe that sports, particularly the NBA, can be as good, if not better than they were in the 90s.

Bron Bron elevated his game and single handedly beat the Pistons in one of the best performances I've seen in years.

48 points, included 29 of his team's final 30 points in the Cavaliers 109-107 double overtime win over the Pistons. The Cavs are now one win away from heading to the NBA finals.

Yes, I too am a witness.

It was one of those moments where if you went to bed early, you kicked yourself the next morning. If you saw, you still watched the highlights this morning, over and over. And if you were bold enough, you let your tongue utter the almost blasphemy-ridden words in basketball - "that was Jordanesque."

There's no guarantee it will happen again. There's also no guarantee the Cavs will win the series. But, for a few hours on Thursday evening, we allowed ourselves to be in awe, to think back and to enjoy sports at the highest level.